Typewriting machine



July-7, 1931. A. a. KUPETZ TYPEWRITING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 25, 1924 INVENTOR ATT- n EY Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADOLPH G. KUPETZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TYPEWR-ITIN G MACHINE Original application filed September 25, 1924, Serial No. 739,807.

December 20, 1826.

This invention relates to typewriting machines, and mainly to means for registering the number of toll items written upon a bill or a succession of bills for telephone service and the like.

According to the present invention, the register or counter, which is used, may be of the type of the well-known Veeder cyclometer. The parts connecting the counter to the typewriting machine are so related that the operation is limited to a certain typing zone. The counter does not operate until the amounts column of an inserted bill has been typed upon, and the carriage returned. This forms a feature of the present invention. The carriage may, if necessary, be moved back to a position for writing in the date column or name of exchange at any stage of the typing operation, prior to making an entry in the amounts column Without causing the register to operate.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a novel form of connection for transmitting motion to the counter. The counter may be attached to the left-hand side of the main frame of the machine, and the operating crank of the counter may carry a resilient arm which lies in the path of movement of the escapement rack-arm and of an obstruction adjustably secured to the escape-ment rack, so that, as the carriage moves back and forth, the arm and the obstruction alternately strike the resilient arm which thereupon causes the register to operate. Use of the resilient arm to operate the register avoids the necessity of providing for fine adjustments relatively to the cooperating parts of the carriage, and forms another feature of the invention. A novel form of obstruction element, such that the same may be readily adjusted and securely clamped in position upon the escapement rack of the machine, embodies another feature of the invention.

A further feature is the provision of a simplified form of bracket for mounting the register upon the main frame of the machine by means of a single screw, the bracket being securely held against movement both laterally and longitudinally of the frame.

Divided and this application filed Serial No. 156,046.

According to another advantageous feature of the present invention, the carriage may be returned or shifted back, as, for example, to correct an error, and any portion of a line of previously-typed characters may be brought to the printing point without causing the register to operate. This desirable end may be attained by arranging the register-arm with respect to the co-operating obstructions on the rack, so that by swinging the rack up by the usual means therefor, the obstructions will pass ineffectively above the register-arm.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 739,807, filed September 25,1924.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of the left end of a type writing machine and illustrating a preferred form of registering mechanism in position thereon.

Figure 2 is a detail view on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing one position assumed by the register operating arm, and Figure 3 shows another positionof said arm.

The mechanism forming the present invention is illustrated in connection with an Underwood standard typewriting machine.

According to the form of the invention illustrated, a counter 66 is secured to a bracket 67 by means of screws 68, the upper portion of the bracket being bent to form a hook-like extension or yoke 69 which passes through a U-shaped depression 7 0 in the left-hand frame 71 of the machine. A finger 72 forming a portion of the yoke extends downwardly behind the frame and engages thcreagainst. The width of the yoke 69 is such as to cause this portion of the bracket to fit snugly between the walls of the U-shapcd depression 70, and the lower end 7 3 of the bracket is fastened to an upstanding extension 74 of the frame 71 by means of a screw 75, the bell usually mounted upon said extension having been removed. It is to be noted that the bracket 67 together with the counter 66 are assembled as a unit in the factory and as a unit they are f; nished distributors as an the rack-bar and accessory attachment for typewriting machines.

The counter 66 base. crank-arm 76 which is mounted upon a shaft 77 which drives register-wheels 7 8, in a manner well known in the art. The free endof the crank-arm has a threaded perforation therein. A length of spring wire bent at a point intermediate the ends thereof to form an eye 80, and a screw 7 9 passes therethrough and into the threaded preparation of the crank-arm 7 (3. One of the free ends of the wire is directed toward the hub 81 of the counter 66' and is formed with a loop 82 which encircles the hub and thereby'provides anchorage for this end of the wire. The other free .end of the wire extends outwardly from the end of the crank-arm 7 6 and is return bent parallel to the outwardly-extending portion of the'wire to form a loop 83, theextreme end of the wire being curved inwardly of the loop 83, as shown at 84. Thus the wire provides a resilient extension or arm 85 upon the crankarm 7 .6. As a part of the counter and bracket unit accessory, a second attachment is mounted upon the usual rack-bar 86 of the carriage 87 consisting of a yoke-shaped member or rider 88 which straddles the rack-bar and is adjustably secured thereupon by means of a screw 89, which passes through a perforation in one leg 90 of the rider 88, thence'under into threaded engagement with a leg 91 of the rider. The operation of the counter is as follows: lVhen the carriage has reached a predetermined point in letterfeeding direction during operationof the machine, the head of the screw 89 engages one side of the resilient arm 85 to throw the arm of the counter 66 in one direction (see Figure 2),

and, upon return movement of the carriage to the right, the usual rack-carrying arm .92 engages the other side of the resilient arm to throw the crank-arm 76 in the other direction (see Figure 3) and thereby causes the counter to index.

By an inspection of Figure 2, those skilled in the construction of an Underwood typewriting machine can readily see that by displacing the rack 86 upwardly in the usual way, the bottom edge of arm 92 will be disposed in a horizontal plane above the uppermost portion of the arm 85. Now, while pressing down on the usual finger-piece (not embodies arm-92, the carriage maybe shifted to the right all the way without operating the register. This is a very desirable feature,

because it permits any part of a previouslytyped line to be returned to the printing point, for example, to correct an error, without affecting the register.

After the error has been corrected, assuming such needed to be done, the carriage can be shifted leftwardly without affecting the register, to bring the arm 92 in the same relation to the arm 85 as it was before the rack was displaced upwardly. Also it can be readily seen that the screw 89 can easily be positioned, if desired, so that it can pass ineffectively over the arm 85 while-the rack 18.6 is raised.

This feature thus permits the usual carriage-release lever finger-piece to serve as a. cut-out key for the simple, inexpensive type of register preferably used in this invention.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 8

' 1. In a typewriting machine having a rack-bar reciprocating at every line, and having' a register mounted on the frame,inclnding a crank arm, the combination of a resilient wire fixed to the crank-arm,said wire 'a crank-arm, the combination of a resilient wire fixed-to the crank-arm, said wireextending outwardly from the end of the crank-arm and then return bent parallel to mid outwardly-extending portion of the wire so as to form a'resilient arm, an adjustableyokepiece straddling the rack-bar, and a screw for securing said yoke-piece in adjusted position upon said rack-bar, said screw having a portion thereof projecting beyond one side of the yoke-piece whereby to engage and move the resilient arm to operate the register.

3. Ina'typew'riting machine havinga carriage and a frame including a yoke-shaped portion, the combination of a pre-assembled unit including a bracket having the upper end thereof formed to pass between the opposite walls of said yoke-shaped portion and engage the sides of the frame, a register mounted upon said bracket, means for securing the bracket to the 'frame,'and means mounted on upon shifting the carriage to apredetermined position withrelationto the frameshown) ofthe carriage-release lever which 4. In a'typewriting machine having a carriage and a frame including a yoke-shaped portion, the combination of a pre-assembled unit constructed as an attachment for the typewriter including a bracket having the both sides of the frame, the hook being of. such width as to fit snuglybetween said'walls and thereby prevent sidewise movement of the bracket, the lower portion of the bracket including a leg, a register mounted upon the bracket, a single screw for fastening said leg to the frame without altering the frame construction, and means mounted on the carriage effective to operate said register upon movement of the carriage to a predetermined position with respect to the frame.

5. In a typewriting machine having a frame, a reciprocating carriage, and an arm on the carriage with a rack-bar fixed on it, the combination of a counting register, including a swingable crank-arm, a bracket detachably mounted on the frame and carrying the register, a resilient extension on the crank-arm, and a yoke straddling said rack-bar and fixable in an adjustable position along this bar, the respective positions of the rack-holding arm and of the yoke with reference to the crank-arm extension being such that in the reciprocating movement of the carriage said arm and said yoke form the two end abutments or stops for said extension with the crank-arm, to throw them into one or the other of their two end positions.

6. In a typewriting machine having a main frame and a. reciprocating carriage, a counting mechanism including a displaceably-mounted escapement-rack, devices for displacing said rack upwardly, a register mounted on said frame below said rack, and a connection between said rack and said register effective for operating the latter upon oscillation of said carriage, said connection releasable by upward displacement of said rack by said devices, whereby said carriage may be shifted from side to side without afi'ecting said register.

ADOLPH G. KUPETZ. 

